As we wrap up this decluttering challenge, I want to shift the focus from physical stuff to something more personal: heart clutter. Clearing our homes is important, but clearing what weighs on our hearts and minds matters even more.
Welcome to the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge! We’ve spent time decluttering, reorganizing, and creating a more peaceful home. If you’re new to the challenge, you may want to start here at the beginning. Affiliate links used for your convenience.
Heart clutter looks like running on empty—too many demands, constant dings and pings, and not enough soul-filling activities. Physical mess often feeds emotional and mental overwhelm, and the cycle can feel endless. But it’s a cycle we can break.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve struggled with clutter in nearly every area: mind, emotions, home, and schedule. In the past couple of years I’ve begun the harder work of clearing out the excess—not just the things in my house but the things that weigh on my heart.
If you’re in the thick of baby or toddler years, know that season is intense and often messy. For a long time I was simply trying to stay afloat—making sure the kids were safe and fed and that I could sneak in a shower every few days. Now that we’re moving into elementary years, I have more space to reclaim some of my heart and head.
If you’re in the midst of little-kid chaos, take a breath and give yourself grace. Systems help, but the reality of toys scattered across the floor is normal. Embracing the season and choosing where to invest your energy will bring you a lot more peace than demanding perfection.
Even when the house isn’t perfectly tidy, tending to your heart makes the physical clutter easier to manage. Clearing internal noise helps you respond to the mess with calm instead of dread.
A decluttered heart often comes from removing distractions, simplifying daily tasks, and saying yes only to what truly matters. Here are some practical, simple steps you can use to clear the emotional and mental clutter.
5 Practical Tips for a Decluttered Heart
1. Step away from social media overload. Social platforms can fill your head with negativity and comparison. Unfollow or mute accounts that leave you anxious or drained. You don’t have to block people permanently—simply reduce the noise coming into your feed. Avoid engaging with posts that trigger you; it rarely leads to anything productive.
2. Put the phone down. Smartphones are incredibly useful, but they also tug your attention away from what matters. Consider turning off nonessential notifications and keeping only calendar alerts for important reminders. Designate certain times—especially meals and family moments—when the phone stays out of sight. You’ll be surprised how much more present you feel.
3. Write a gratitude list. Putting gratitude on paper shifts perspective quickly. Don’t just tally things in your head—write them down and place the list somewhere visible. Revisiting the list over a few days anchors your mind in what’s good and quiets the unnecessary chatter.
4. Schedule quiet time. Creating margin is only useful if you fill it with nourishing activities. Carve out regular quiet time—whether it’s journaling, reading, stretching, prayer, a short walk, or soaking in a bath with a book. Aim for even 15 minutes if that’s all you can manage. For many of us, an earlier bedtime and a calm morning routine create a daily window for this kind of restorative practice.
5. Serve others. When I focus on myself and my to-do list, my heart feels crowded. Looking up and helping someone else clears perspective and reminds me what really matters—people, not tasks. Small acts of kindness, encouraging notes, or practical help reorient the heart toward generosity and connection.
Writing these tips has felt like a deep breath. Slowing down, cutting out noise, and refocusing on what matters will lift a lot of the heaviness in your heart and mind. When that inner space is clearer, managing physical clutter becomes less draining and more doable.
This 30-day journey has been about progress, not perfection. Our goal is to live intentionally with priorities in order. Removing clutter—both the visible and invisible—gives us time and energy to invest in community and the people we love.
The Messy Work: Turn off nonessential phone notifications, write a gratitude list and post it where you’ll see it, and schedule a short quiet period each day. It may be hard at first, but the payoff in peace and perspective is worth it.
In the mess with you, Laura